Friday, September 01, 2006

Learning to Ice Skate

Ice Skating requires specific skills and beginners are often at a loss as to where to start. Beginner questions I have encountered include: At what age should I start my child? Am I too old to start? Should we take lessons? Do we need to buy our own skates?

I think that as long as one can walk, one can try ice skating. Whether you are "young" or "old" is irrelevant. I have taught kids as young as 3 years old. I know friends who started as old as 60. Just be young-at-heart!

If you want to do more than cling on to the boards, do consider lessons. Generally starting with group lessons is less costly and more interesting, but as the skater progresses, private lessons will be more useful and effective.

Anyone interested in skating seriously should invest in a pair of skates - the sooner the better. That said, it is not harmful to start off with rental skates for a short period of time.

There is currently ONE rink in Singapore - Fuji Ice Palace, and it runs a skating school. First-timers may start with an introductory lesson. This is meant for beginners to try out the ice before deciding to sign up for regular lessons.
[Update 13 June 2008: There is now a rink open at Kallang as well.]

Lessons may be arranged through the rink's office (phone number 6565 1905). As a coach there, I also help to make arrangements for potential students who contact me directly.

** Update to this post
Kallang Ice World began operation in 2007, at the new Kallang Leisure Park building. The contact number for Kallang Ice World is 6348 1123.

Fuji Ice Palace has closed at of Oct 2008. We are awaiting a promised full-size rink in the new building where Jurong Entertainment Center once was.

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These are my personal views about figure skating here in Singapore. They do not represent the position of the ice skating rink, the figure skating assocation, nor any of the figure skating clubs in Singapore.